NSW floods live updates: Sydney dodges worst weather, as storms hit Hunter instead

Sydney has dodged the bulk of the impact of the intense east coast low weather system, which has made landfall on the Hunter and lower Mid North Coast instead, but the greater city's communities should still brace for major flooding. Meanwhile communities on the Central Coast and north are being inundated with rainfall.

Sydney has dodged the bulk of the impact of the looming east coast low, which has made landfall on the Hunter and lower Mid North Coast, however but communities should still brace for major flooding.

The heavy weather has touched down between Newcastle and Port Stephens, bringing heavy, stead rainfall to that coast area of NSW.

People on a jetski in front of flooded property opposite Treetops Adventure Park on the NSW Central Coast. Picture: Dana Pendrick

BOM forecaster Olenka Duma said the system would stay in place there before weakening, meaning Sydney had been largely spared - but would still see heavy rainfall and flash flooding from surrounding widespread rainfall.

"We do have more steady rainfall at Newcastle and Port Stephens, with strings of showers down to Nowra. The system is not going to move too much further south," Ms Duma said.

"It wont push all the way down to Sydney but there will certainly be more widespread rainfall in the next few hours and potential thunderstorm development." 

She added: "Everything is still quited saturated so the flash flooding in the Hawkesbury and western parts of Sydney will continue." 

About 50 to 100mm of rain is now expected to fall across Sydney today.

The water is creeping up on houses along Henry Lawson Drive in Panania. Picture: John Grainger

 

It comes after thousands of people woke up on Thursday morning to find “much of the state underwater”.

Premier Dominic Perrottet has thanked residents for evacuating their homes in the middle of the night and driving through severe rain.

Thousands more have continued this morning to evacuate from low-lying suburbs along the Hawkesbury-Nepean and Georges rivers, as well as areas of the Central Coast.

“We have currently about half a million people across our state who are subject to either one of those warnings or one of those orders,” he said. 

“Not only do they (the orders) keep you safe, importantly they keep our volunteers safe.”

 

 

Auld Ave in Milpera went under water early Thrusday. Picture: John Grainger

Mr Perrottet said “things will get worse” through the day on Thursday and warned the Hawkesbury region should brace itself for floods surpassing the level of those in 2017, while Newcastle is expecting more torrential rain.

“The challenge we are facing is a battle on two fronts … while we are dealing with the immediate right here in Sydney… many people have returned home and they’ve returned home to devastating scenes,” he said.

 

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Originally published as NSW floods live updates: Sydney dodges worst weather, as storms hit Hunter instead